Unidirectionally modelocked fs Ti:sapphire ring laser with 1 GHz repetition rate and its application in spectroscopy

Summary form only given. The development of high repetition rate fs lasers is highly desirable for spectroscopic applications, e.g. the peak intensities can be minimized while spectroscopic good signal-to-noise ratios are maintained which is of paramount importance in optical tomography, two photon microscopy or low invasive second harmonic generation. Several concepts for high repetition rate (>500 MHz) modelocked fs-lasers have been demonstrated in the past. For achieving the necessary compactness alternative concepts to the group velocity dispersion (GVD) control based on prism pairs have to be developed. Schemes based on prismatic laser crystals´ and chirped mirrors have been employed for this purpose. Based on a GVD realized with chirped mirrors Stingl et al. Demonstrated a Kerr-lens modelocked Ti:sapphire laser in X-cavity geometry running at 500 MHz. Here we present a ring laser concept incorporating 5 bounces on chirped mirrors running at 1 GHz repetition rate.